Chef – Product Development; QSR/Cloud Kitchen
Chef – Product Development (QSR / Cloud Kitchen)
Location:
Dubai, UAE |
Employment Type:
Full-Time | Department:
Culinary Innovation & Operations | Cuisine:
Indian, Sandwiches, Rolls, Fast-food, or QSR Fusion-focused
We are building a next-generation QSR Cloud Kitchen brand serving high‑quality, consistent, and scalable food experiences across multiple locations and formats. We are looking for a Product Development Chef who can take ownership of menu innovation—from concept to commercialization. This role requires deep knowledge of regional and international cuisines, strong R&D ability, and the capability to convert recipes into standardized, scalable, and cost‑efficient production systems, whether executed in‑house, through central kitchens, or via outsourced supply‑chain partners.
Key ResponsibilitiesProduct Innovation & Development – Indian, Asian, Fast‑food, or Fusion-focused cloud kitchens. Research, conceptualize, and create new menu items aligned with brand identity and market trends in the GCC. Conduct multiple rounds of product iteration, improvement, and refinement based on sensory evaluation. Adapt recipes to fit the local palate of the UAE and GCC markets while maintaining brand DNA. Conduct competitive benchmarking across Dubai’s QSR and cloud‑kitchen ecosystem.
Recipe Engineering & Standardization – Develop accurate recipes, formulations, and portion sizes for every dish. Ensure dishes can be reproduced with consistency across all kitchens (cloud, central, or outsourced). Build detailed standardized recipes (spec sheets), covering ingredients, equipment, steps, timings, yields, and plating/packaging methods. Translate complex recipes into operationally simple SOPs suitable for high‑volume QSR operations. Understand nutritional component and nutritional values of the food items created.
Someone who understands processes of retort, frozen, preservative based, hot fill products and technologies.
Sensory Evaluation & Quality Control – Lead internal tasting panels; document sensory feedback and continuously iterate to reach final approved benchmarks. Maintain taste, texture, and visual consistency across all locations. Collaborate with QA and Operations teams to ensure repeatable quality in daily operations.
Supply Chain & Production Integration – Work with procurement to shortlist suppliers, evaluate raw materials, and ensure ingredient consistency. Design recipes considering cost targets, shelf‑life, storage constraints, and scalability. Collaborate with central kitchen production teams to scale recipes from lab to batch production. Support outsourcing partners (co‑packers, commissaries) in establishing production SOPs and quality guidelines.
Cloud Kitchen Operational Support – Develop SOPs for every kitchen process, including preparation, cooking, assembly, packaging, and dispatch. Train kitchen teams on new products, workflows, and quality standards. Conduct periodic kitchen audits to monitor product adherence, hygiene standards, and operational compliance.
Skills & Qualifications
- 5–10+ years of experience as Chef, R&D Chef, Innovation Chef, or Culinary Head in QSR, cloud kitchens, or fast‑casual brands.
- Strong understanding of Middle Eastern, Indian, Asian, Fast‑Casual, and Fusion cuisines (flexible based on brand positioning).
- Experience with commercial manufacturing of food products – technologies like frozen, retort, preservative based, emulsified products, etc.
- Deep experience in recipe development, sensory analysis, and high‑volume food production.
- Experience with central kitchen operations, commissary models, and outsourced production partners.
- Strong documentation, process‑thinking, and organizational skills.
- Ability to balance creativity with cost, scalability, and operational simplicity.
- Knowledge of Dubai/UAE food safety standards (HACCP, Municipality regulations) preferred.
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